Li Kui (Water Margin)
| Li Kui | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| Nickname | "Black Whirlwind" 黑旋風 |
| Also known as | "Iron Ox" 鐵牛 |
| Rank | 22nd, Killer Star (天殺星) of the 36 Heavenly Spirits |
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| Infantry leader of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Prison warder |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Baizhang Village, Yishui County, Yizhou (in present-day Linyi, Shandong) |
| First appearance | Chapter 37 |
| Weapon | Pair of axes, Pudao |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 李逵 |
| Traditional Chinese | 李逵 |
| Pinyin | Lǐ Kuí |
| Wade–Giles | Li K'uei |
Li Kui is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 22nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Black Whirlwind".
Water Margin describes Li Kui as a muscular man with a dark complexion, a reddish-yellow unibrow, and fiery eyes. He is as strong as an ox, which earns him the nickname "Iron Ox". However, he is more popularly referred to by other jianghu figures as "Black Whirlwind" for his berserk behavior in combat and dark complexion. Li Kui has a bad temper and a strong penchant for wine and is known to be a hardcore gambler. He strikes fear in the hearts of many and a mere glare from him is said to frighten away aggressors. He is a tough melee fighter and uses a pair of axes in battle, often charging ahead of his men on the front line.
Li Kui is from Baizhang Village (百丈村), Yishui County (沂水縣), Yizhou (沂州), which is in present-day Linyi, Shandong. He flees from home after killing someone in his hometown, to avoid arrest from the authorities. He comes to Jiangzhou (江州; east of present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) and becomes a warder in the prison there under the chief warden Dai Zong. He meets Song Jiang, who has been sentenced to exile in Jiangzhou. He does not recognise Song Jiang during their first encounter and tries to extort money from Song for gambling. When Song Jiang refuses, Li Kui threatens to beat him up but Dai Zong arrives and stops him. Dai Zong introduces Song Jiang to Li Kui and Li is stunned to hear that the man before him is actually the famous philanthropist he has always admired. He apologises for his earlier rude behaviour and becomes friends with Song Jiang.
Later, Dai Zong and Li Kui bring Song Jiang to a restaurant for a meal. Song Jiang has a sudden craving for fish but the fish from the restaurant is not fresh. The waiter says that the restaurant does not have fresh fish. Li Kui volunteers to get fish from the nearby fishmarket and he gets involved in a brawl with Zhang Shun. He beats Zhang Shun on land but loses when the fight moves to the water. Luckily, Song Jiang and Dai Zong arrive on time and stop the fight. Li Kui and Zhang Shun then have a good laugh over the fight and become friends.
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